Although Aristotle is very specific in his requirements for what defines a tragedy, those elements doesn’t necessarily create one. A story may contain one or more of those elements and not be a tragedy. On the other hand, as in the example of Oedipus, it may contain all of those elements and be considered a tragedy. However, it is not only the elements themselves that make a character tragic- it is the story as …showed first 75 words of 1118 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1118 total…Aristotle’s four elements but that doesn’t necessarily make a tragedy. In Oedipus, those four elements are successful in creating a tragic character but when applied to A Doll’s House, Aristotle fails. The events of September 11th are considered a tragedy but it very different from Aristotle’s formula. A tragedy depends on the situation, circumstances, and people involved, plus the story itself- it shouldn’t be defined by elements, requirements, or criteria.